'Do not conceal your identity as a Korean and express it as it is,' says Beef director

The Netflix drama Beef, which portrays the loneliness and anger of modern-day immigrants of Korean descent, garnered worldwide empathy and achieved a remarkable feat at the 75th Prime Time Emmy Awards. On Thursday (local time), it won a total of eight awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Directing, and Lead Actor and Actress awards, at the prestigious ceremony.

"Do not conceal your identity as a Korean and express it as it is." Whenever it was mentioned as a winning work at the Emmy Awards, I thought of a memorable statement. It was a confession from the director of Beef, Lee Sung-jin, who served as a speaker at the International Broadcasting Video Market held in August last year at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul.

"Hollywood has changed a lot. When I debuted, I used to think, 'How can I write something that Americans will like?' But not anymore,” Director Lee said. “There is now a lot of interest not only in K-pop, K-dramas, and K-movies but also in the collective experience of Koreans. Do not conceal your identity as a Korean and express it as it is."

In his confession about contemplating what Americans would like when he debuted in 2008, there are numerous meanings and explanations that any Korean can instantly understand without elaborate details. This is because, just 16 years ago, the position of Korean immigrants within the U.S. and the status of Korean content on the global stage seemed like a 'glass ceiling.' His confession reflects the reality that, as an 'object' rather than a subject, he had to engage in creative activities that aligned with the standards set by the subject. This confession, combined with the honor of winning eight awards at the Emmy Awards, resonates deeply as a source of inspiration for Koreans who share the same 'root.'

In recent years, the landscape has changed with films such as “Parasite” and TV series such as “Squid Game” sweeping major awards including the Academy Awards and Golden Globes. Every time global award ceremonies take place, Korean works and actors are nominated for major awards, prompting culture reporters from domestic media outlets to not only conduct research but also plan and envision how to write articles. No longer are the Emmy Awards, Golden Globes, and other stories from foreign countries; they have become 'our' stories. The global prominence of Korean content makes Koreans increasingly transition from 'objects' in global culture to ‘subjects.'

The subtitle of the 10th episode of the drama Beef is ‘Figures of Light.’ It is derived from a statement by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung: "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." I believe that the journey of Korean content finding its spotlight is also rooted in the efforts of many creators to overcome the dark times when it was not recognized as mainstream in the world. Building on the resilience forged in this process, I hope for future activities to be characterized by longevity rather than just a momentary shine.